Teutonic Pneumonic
by Mickidona
Summary: Gilbert is just about ready to confess his true feelings towards Roderich, when a certain Austrian's knack for getting lost creates a whole lot of havoc. PruAus
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

**AN**

_Please excuse the dreadful title which makes no sense whatsoever._

_I have a bit of an affinity for sick-fics, and I woke up in the middle of the night a few weeks ago and just started writing this. It's turning out a lot longer than I expected, but oh well. Each chapter switches between Prussia's and Austria's POV. I also use a lot of German, cos I speak the language well, and I have this headcanon that Gil can't be bothered with English all the time, so he reverts to his native German. I'll provide translations if you need them. Enjoy! =^-^=_

_Pairings: PruAus (duh), GerIta (established), Spamano (you know how it is between them), FrUk (implied)_

_Rating: PG (for intense fluff) No yaoi or anything though_

_Summary: Gilbert is just about ready to confess his true feelings towards Roderich, when a certain Austrian's knack for getting lost creates a whole lot of havoc._

_WARNING: This has quite a bit of fluff. Like, a LOT of fluff. It's about as fluffy as Gilbird, to be honest._

**/AN**

***Prussia***

Prussia sat on Austria's couch, waiting for him to come home. He'd broken in through the back window, as usual, only to find the manor strangely devoid of its usual tunes. After a quick investigation, finding the piano seat empty, the laundry unwashed, and the kitchen unkempt, the former nation came to the conclusion that the priss had dropped everything and run off at a moment's notice. A quick phone call to West cleared up the matter.

"Hey West, it's your awesome älterer Bruder!"

"Gilbert, where are you? You broke into Austria's house again, didn't you?"

"Ja, of course! Ist mein favorit Spiel. Where is the priss anyway? He's not here."

"He went to the markets with Feli- uh, with Italy. He ran out of pasta and went a little insane."

"Oh. Well, do you know when he's Rückkehr? It's kinda… langweilig here, ya know, and I wanted to talk to him."

A heavy silence greeted Prussia.

"West? You still there?"

"…You're going to tell him, aren't you."

The albino stiffened.

"I uh, don't know what you're weitläufig about West."

"Look Preußen, you can't expect anything from him. Just because you like him, doesn't mean he'll like you back. I just…Ich will nicht sie verletzt."

Gilbert could hear the stiff tone in his little brother's voice, the one that showed he was being affectionate. Gott verdammt, he never knew how to respond when Ludwig got all mushy, however rarely that was.

"Uh, right West. Whatever you say. Muss gehen, bye!"

"GILBERT, DON'T YOU HANG UP ON-"

He quickly dropped the phone back into its cradle, just as an excessively loud bang rattled the windows and made him jump. Thunder. The sky opened up and rain bucketed down, electricity sliced apart the no longer fluffy clouds, and the thunder rumbled with a strange similarity to Antonio's snoring.

Prussia sighed to himself. Well, it was going to be a long wait for the priss to come home, so he might as well do something. On his way to the living room, Gilbert once again caught sight of the usually sparkling kitchen, which was currently littered with dirty dishes. He suddenly found himself, dishcloth in hand, wiping a crystal glass clean. Damn his neat freak ways!

He was wiping down the bench for the third time, the dishes washed, dried, and put away, when he glanced at the clock. 6:30 pm. It had been almost an hour since he'd spoken to West, yet the storm was still raging. And Austria still wasn't home…

A horrifying thought suddenly struck the former nation. Italy's house was between the supermarket and Austria's manor. The priss had probably walked Italy back to his house, dropped of the oblivious little nation, and was now… lost. In the rain. Gott verdammt!

**AN**

_Well, there you go! Chapter one is over. Please tell me what you thought, input is greatly appreciated. Oh, here are the German translations, I used a lot more than I initially intended to, oops. _

_**Älterer Bruder -Older Brother**_

_**Ja -Yes**_

_**Ist mein favorit Spiel -It's my favourite game**_

_**Rückkehr -Returning**_

_**Langweilig -Boring**_

_**Weitläufig -Rambling**_

_**Preußen -Prussia**_

_**Ich will nicht sie verletzt -I don't want you to get hurt**_

_**Gott verdammt -God dammit**_

_**Muss gehen -Must go**_

**/AN**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**AN**

_I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but each chapter is from a different character's point of view. It'll probably just be Gilbert and Roderich, but I might throw in a couple Germany POVs as well. So yeah, this is Roddy's POV :D_

**/AN**

***Austria***

"Italy. Italy! Calm down. Tell me what the problem is. With words this time."

"We ran out of pasta last night and I didn't have any then and I didn't have any for breakfast and I didn't have any for lunch and it's nearly dinner time and I'm _hungry_!"

"Well, can't you go to the store with Ludwig and get some more?"

"Ve~ I want to, but Luddy is busy and he won't take me and Gilbert isn't at home and Romano went out with Spain and I'm just so _hungry_!"

Austria sighed. He was rather fond of the little nation, but enough to drop everything and go and buy pasta, of all things? He glanced back at the dishes on the sink and sighed again.

"Alright Italy, I'll take you to the supermarket. But just this once, okay?"

"Yay! Thank you Austria, I'll see you soon!"

Roderich closed his eyes for a moment, marvelling at the little nation's sudden mood swing, then grabbed his coat, straightened his cravat, and marched out the front door.

The Austrian waved goodbye as the little Italian skipped up the path to his house, arms full of pasta. Now he had to make his way home. Before he'd even reached the end of the street, the sky darkened, thunder rumbled across the ether, lightning flashes, and it started to pour with rain. Foolishly, Roderich simply turned up his collar and forged on through the rain. In less than ten minutes, he was lost.

Squat, cream coloured houses stretched along an unfamiliar street, and unfriendly faced glared at him through chinks in their curtains. This was hardly the hospitality Roderich would have expected, and definitely not what _he _would have done to a poor soul, out in this rain. But he kept walking.

Half an hour later he tripped over an uneven piece of concrete, nearly broke his glasses, and ended up sprawled in the gutter. He sniffled, held himself together for a moment longer, then put his face in his hands and sobbed. He was cold, sopping wet, lonely, and he could feel a dreadful cold coming on. Just before he gave up all hope, he glanced up and spotted a pay phone. Brilliant!

Getting up a little unsteadily, he hurried towards the booth, digging through his pockets for a coin. He entered the glass box with a gasp; it was freezing in there! He touched the receiver, pulled back in shock, then pulled his sleeve down over his hand to protect it from the iced metal.

Without thinking, he dialled his home number. Realising his mistake, he was about to hang up when, unexpectedly, someone answered the phone.

_Please don't be Gilbert, please don't be Gilbert…_

He begged silently to himself, hoping his little mantra would protect him from the person he least wanted to hear from at that moment.

"Yo, you've called Austria's place, this is the awesome Prussia speaking!"

Oh dear.

**AN**

_I feel so bad for my Roddy! And I can't really see it getting better for him either. Don't worry, I'll do all in my power to keep him alive. Please review :D _

**/AN**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

***Prussia***

Just as Gilbert was about to run out the front door in an attempt to find Roderich, the phone rang unexpectedly.

_Who'd be calling the priss? Other than me, of course._

"Yo, you've called Austria's Haus, this is the awesome Prussia sprechen!"

There was a pregnant pause.

"Hallo? Anyone there?

Prussia heard a familiar feminine sigh, before the voice began to speak.

"Gilbert, what are you doing in my house?"

Shoot. It was Austria.

"Aw, come on Roddy, you can't pretend you don't enjoy mein Unternehmen!"

"I beg to differ."

"Was Auch Immer. Where are you anyways? I've been here for _Ewigkeit_."

"Well. I may have taken a… wrong turn, on the way home from Italy's house."

"You're lost? In the rain?"

"Yes, Gilbert, I think I made that quite clear."

"Well, I guess you'll just have to be rescued by your Favorit Teutonic Knight! What street are you on?"

"Tiparra Avenue."

"Tiparra Avenue? That's all the way on the other side of town!"

"I'm quite aware of that, Gilbert."

"Well, looks like it's the awesome me to the rescue! See ya in a bit, Roddy. And uh, stay out of the rain okay?"

Prussia hung up before Austria could say anything more.

_Lost, in the rain… poor guy… gotta help him!_

The former nation could think of nothing else as he grabbed an umbrella and left. Half an hour later, he trudged down an empty lane, his boots soaked through and the umbrella practically destroyed by the wind.

_Schwachsinnige! You should've called West and borrowed the car._

He sighed in relief as his crimson eyes finally found the street sigh he's been searching for. With renewed energy, he hurried down the deserted avenue, spotted the phone box, and raced to save Roderich.

**AN**

_I dunno about this chapter, it feels kinda weird to me. Let me know what you think. As before, German translations below =^-^=_

_**Haus -House**_

_**Sprechen -Speaking**_

_**Hallo -Hello**_

_**Mein Unternehmen -My company**_

_**Was Auch Immer -Whatever**_

_**Ewigkeit -Ages**_

_**Favorit -Favourite**_

_**Schwachsinnige -Moron**_

**/AN**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**AN**

_I've been having some formatting issues, so I'm sorry about that. I'm working on it though! I'm moving through this story a lot more quickly than I expected._

**/AN**

***Austria***

"See ya in a bit, Roddy. And uh, stay out of the rain okay?"

"Don't call me-"

Roderich sighed; the irritating Prussian had already hung up. Taking the albino's advice and not venturing out into the rain again, he stayed in the cramped little phone box, sat down, wrapped his arms around his knees, and tried to stay warm. It really was freeing in there.

His dark hair fell to cover his face as he began to cry again.

_Oh, why must I be so directionless?_

He'd always been this way, even as a child. At least then he's always had someone around to keep him from wandering off. Now all he had was Germany, who was always working or out with Italy. And Prussia.

Prussia, who annoyed him to no end. Prussia, who always tried to spoil everything the Austrian was proud of, from his precious piano to a simple sachertorte. Prussia, who Roderich had to admit he'd become rather… fond of. It was hard to imagine having a whole bienenstich to himself. Hard to imagine the living room quiet, free of the former nation's strangely endearing laughter. Hard to imagine being able to play his piano without the albino sneaking in to listen, thinking he was being stealthy.

The Austrian began to wish that Gilbert was there with him, his warm arms around the freezing nation. So cold… Roderich leaned his head against the frosty glass, feeling his eyes fall closed.

_Perhaps just a short nap…_

He slipped into unconsciousness, as the hail beat down on the little phone box. His slender form slumped against the frozen glass, his hair falling across his face, as Gilbert raced towards him, desperate to rescue him.

"Röschen!"

**AN**

_Okay, so this was a really short chapter. Sorry. I feel like I may have used a little too much descriptive language here. Oh well. Please review :3_

_**Sachertorte -A type of German chocolate cake (my favourite)**_

_**Bienenstich -Called Beesting in English I believe, a German pastry made with lots of cream, honey, and almonds**_

_**Röschen -Rose (You'll hear more about this later)**_

**/AN**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**AN**

_I promised you an explanation for '__Röschen' at the end of last chapter, but I just realised it doesn't really get explained in this one either. So I'll tell you now. _

_It means rose, and Prussia calls Roderich that in secret, because he sorta sees Roddy as his rose, delicate and beautiful. It's kinda romantic really. It also sounds similar to Roderich, and people tend to give nicknames that are similar to the original name, so yeah. =^-^=_

**/AN**

***Prussia***

"Röschen!"

The Prussian skidded to a stop in front of the phone box, silently cursing himself for the use of his secret nickname for the delicate nation. It didn't seem to matter, however, as Austria was quite unconscious.

"Rös- uh, Roderich? Wake up!"

He threw the door open and gasped as the frozen air rushed out to greet him. Shaking it off, he dropped to his knees in front of the pale nation.

"Roderich? Oh god."

Gilbert had never seen the self-assured nation look so… helpless. His brow was furrowed, contorting his beautiful face into an expression of intense worry. He looked like a fallen angel, rejected from heaven and left to die on earth. Gilbert reached out and gently shook Roderich's shoulder.

"Hey Roddy- uh, priss. It's time to go home buddy."

The Austrian only mumbled, his head lolling from side to side, his eyes closing even tighter. Frowning, the Prussian hesitantly pressed a hand to the pale forehead, only to pull it away almost instantly.

_Mein Gott, he's burning up! My poor Prinzessin…_

Dismissing his initial thought of waking up the dark haired nation, he instead scooped Roderich up and carefully carried him out of the booth.

_He's so thin, so cold, it's no wonder he fainted._

Gilbert easily carried the unconscious Austrian in the direction of Italy's house; it was actually warmer outside, compared to the phone box. The easily lost man had only wandered about a kilometre away from the house, albeit walking about three. He must have been walking in circles for a long time.

Finally arriving at the little terracotta house, the albino knocked on the Italians' door with his foot. He was soaked to the bone due to leaving his umbrella back in the phone box; he couldn't carry them both.

"Ciao! How are- oh no!"

Feliciano's usual cheery greeting was cut short by the sight of the desparate Prussian carrying the obviously ill Austrian in his strong embrace.

"Feli, thank god, show me to your spare room, quick!"

"Well, I actually-"

"Now, Italy!"

Flinching slightly at the albino's shout, Feliciano hesitated slightly before rushing down the hall and opening a door, Gilbert close on his heels. When the Prussian entered the room, however, he was greeted by the famili'ar Italian-themed surroundings.

"Uh, Feli? This is your room."

"Si, we don't have a guest room. But that's okay, Roderich can rest here! I don't mind! Ve~"

"You don't have a guest room…" Gilbert muttered.

_So when West stays overnight…_

Quickly pushing that thought from his mind, he gently lay the Austrian down on the snowy white bedspread. He carefully removed Roderich's glasses, setting them down on the nightstand, and brushed back some of that dark, silky hair that had fallen across his alabaster brow. He smiled fondly at the angelic form before remembering that Italy was still in the room.

"Uh, Feli, call mein Bruder and get him to come and pick us up. I can take better care of him there. And, ya know, I don't want to take over your house either."

"I don't mind Gilbert! But I think Lovino might… ve~. I'll call Luddy right away then!"

_Luddy? Mein Gott…_

Prussia stepped into Italy's en suite, grabbed a flannel, and doused it with water. He could hear the Italian brothers yelling excitedly downstairs, but he had no idea what they were saying. He had enough trouble with English without having to learn Italian too.

"Feliciano, calmati! Perché sei così pazzo?"

"Penso che Gilbert è innamorato di Roderich!"

"No merda Feli, sono abbastanza sicuro cazzo lo sanno tutti."

Shaking his head at the insane brothers' antics, he went to mop Austria's brow. Before he reached the bed however, he heard the unconscious man mumbling.

"So cold… shouldn't have gotten lost… it's okay now… Gilbert will save me…"

The albino froze in shock.

_Gilbert will save me…?_

So the Austrian had trusted him… coming out of his reverie, he gently placed the cool cloth on Roderich's burning forehead, then sat back and just… watched.

He watched the shallow rise and fall of the Austrian's chest, watched him shiver slightly, even under the thick duvet, watched his chocolatey hair fall back down to cover his still closed eyes. He truly was beautiful. His alabaster skin, the gentle slope of his jaw, that little curl that never seemed to sit down. It was all so endearing to the watching Prussian, who'd seen so few lovely things, who'd been denied such simple pleasures. He just wanted to sit there and watch the sleeping angel forever.

The spell was broken by a sharp rap on the open door- when had West arrived? Hastily averting his gaze from the Austrian, he stood to acknowledge his militaristic brother.

"Hey, jüngerer Bruder! You've come to pick us up?"

"Ja. Is he okay? Feli- uh, Italy wasn't really sure."

"I think he'll be okay. Ich hoffe…"

He whispered the last past to himself before glancing back towards the bed, frowning slightly in worry.

"Anyway, we need to get him back home. Hold the tür for me, will ya?"

Ludwig confirmed his compliance with his usual, sharp, military nod, before moving to hold the door open for his brother. Gilbert carefully scooped up the unwell Austrian and carried him cautiously down the hall, being careful not to trip.

The movement did not bode well for the Austrian; by the time Gilbert had settled him into the back seat of Ludwig's Volkswagen, he was coated with a fresh sheen of sweat, twitching every now and again, and had started up the mumbling again.

"I should make sachertorte…does Gilbert like sachertorte..? It doesn't really matter I guess…he'll eat it anyway…"

The Prussian was surprised at the words that flowed so freely from the Austrian's lips.

_Why does he keep mentioning my name?_

He gazed down at the Austrian, head tilted in a rare show of confusion. Of course, he probably just wanted to make nice food.

_He does that for everyone… doesn't he?_

"Oi West, does the priss ever cook for you?"

Ludwig smirked at the unusual question. His brother so rarely asked him things, it was a nice change.

"Nein. He cooks a lot when people visit his house, which is pretty often, but not for anyone individually."

The albino looked up in hope.

_So he only cooks for me…_

He kind of liked the sound of that. A warm feeling began to spread from his un-beating heart, all the way down to his toes. Almost unconsciously, he took Roderich's hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

"You'll be okay, mein Röschen. I'll take good care of you. Don't you worry one little bit."

**AN**

_Awww, so much fluff in this chapter! It's my longest yet, so congratulate me! I kinda see Gil as a really innocent character, at least when it comes to romance, because all he's ever done is fight. So yeah, he's being a sweetheart. I used a bit of Italian in here too! Translations below, as per usual =^-^=_

_**Röschen -Rose (term of endearment)**_

_**Mein Gott -Oh my God**_

_**Prinzessin -Princess**_

_**Jüngerer Bruder -Little brother**_

_**Ja -Yes**_

_**Ich hoffe -I hope so**_

_**Tür -Door**_

_**Sachertorte -German chocolate cake**_

_**Nein -No**_

_**Mein Röschen -My rose**_

_Oh, and the little Italian bit;_

_**Feliciano, calm down! Why the f*ck you so bat sh*t crazy?**_

_**I think Gilbert's in love with Roderich!**_

_**No sh*t Feli, I'm pretty sure f*cking everyone knows that.**_

_Sorry about the language, but it _is _Romano. Unlike the German, this is straight from Google translate, cos I don't speak Italian. If you can fix it, please do :D_

**/AN**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

***Austria***

Cold…such cold… cold as he'd never felt it before. This cold… it was nothing like the friendly winters that brought gifts of snow and children's laughter. This cold was overwhelming, devastating, as if his very bones had been replaced a skeleton of ice.

Then, a sudden warmth, a comforting embrace, a gentle pair of arms that promised protection.

But then the warmth was too much, is consumed him, engulfed, took away that opulence and replaced it with the cursed flames of hell.

Then a beacon on the distant horizon, a lighthouse to guide his sinking ship, a cool hand that grasped his own.

"You'll be okay," it whispered. And he believed it, for whether it be angel or demon, he would follow that voice to his death.

And with that, he slipped back into the abyss.

**AN**

_That… was literally nothing. It was really just a recap of things from Austria's point of view. A _lot_ of descriptive language in there. Don't hate me._

**/AN**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

**AN**

_I'm sorry this chapter has taken so long to write, I've been struggling with writer's block for a little while. If you have any ideas, or things you'd like to see (yes, including ships) just let me know. I honestly have no idea where to go from here, so any assistance is appreciated! :D_

**/AN**

***Prussia***

Gilbert gently lay Roderich's slumbering form down on the crocheted bedspread, before pulling an armchair over and sitting beside him. He could feel the dark haired nation trembling, so he reached out and squeezed his pale hand.

"Hey West, go get a nassen Waschlappen for me," he called out, not taking his eyes off the sleeping beauty. He missed seeing those eyes, those stunning violet eyes, so full of the airs and graces the prissy man surrounded himself in. Oh, how he missed those eyes.

"You really love him, don't you."

Prussia jumped slightly at his brother's words. He hadn't noticed, but Germany had been leaning in the door frame for quite some time now, watching him brother fawn over the Austrian. Gilbert sighed.

"Yeah, I guess I do. Ich kann nicht erklären das Gefühl… I just want to be with him forever. I don't ever want to let him go."

"I know what you mean, bruder."

Gilbert dragged his gaze away from Roderich to stare at his brother.

"You do?"

"Uh, yeah," Ludwig cleared his throat, "I uh, feel the same way… about Feliciano."

"Bro, ernst?" Gilbert crowed, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wasn't sure how you'd react, him being a man and all."

"You're my jüngerer bruder, why should I care? Besides, I'm hella gay too, in case you hadn't noticed."

"I guess I wasn't really thinking straight…"

"Well duh, you were thinking gay!"

Ludwig groaned at his brother's terrible pun, before flicking the wet flannel towards him, succeeding in slapping him in the face with it. Gilbert simply pulled it off his face and grinned goofily at him. The corners of Ludwig's mouth twitched, and soon enough the brothers were both laughing their butts off. Gilbert's trademark cackle cut through the air, alarming the dogs and causing Gilbird to fly off his owner's shoulder, while Ludwig's baritone chuckle was a more calming sound, albeit severely restricting the German's breathing, causing him to gasp for air. Wiping his eyes, Germany became sombre and business-like again.

"So… do you think he'll be okay?"

Gilbert frowned, looked back at the sleeping Austrian, and sighed.

"Ich hoffe, bruder. Ich wirklich hoffe."

**AN**

_I know, I know, it was terrible. I just wanted to do a little brother-bonding chapter, and this is what came out. More intense stuff coming next chapter, I hope! I also have a little suffering for Gilbert in store. I feel really bad about it, but he'll be okay. I hope. Please review! =^-^=_

_**Nassen Waschlappen -Damp flannel**_

_**Ich kann nicht erklären das Gefühl -I can't explain the feeling**_

_**Ernst -Really**_

_**Jüngerer Bruder -Younger Brother**_

_**Ich hoffe, bruder -I hope so, brother**_

_**Ich wirklich hoffe -I really hope so**_

**/AN**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

**AN**

_Thank you for the reviews! They are greatly appreciated :D_

**/AN**

***Austria***

He awoke in the night, an unfamiliar hand clutching his. He panicked, pulled away and scrambled to the other side of the bed, grabbing his glasses. He shoved them quickly and clumsily onto his face, suddenly recognising the pale figure, slumbering in his armchair.

_Thank god, it's just Gilbert._

The Austrian frowned to himself, considering what he'd just thought.

_Why was Gilbert holding my hand?_

Before he could consider the implications of this, a tidal wave of dizziness rolled over the man, almost knocking him out again. He clutched the bedside table as his body shook uncontrollably. Roderich stumbled out of bed, barely making it to the bathroom before retching violently into the toilet. Disturbingly cloudy water, however, was the only thing produced.

_How long has it been since I've eaten?_

He wondered. He put his hand to his stomach, which caved in alarmingly. The thought of food, however, made him even more nauseous, so he quickly pushed that image from his mind. Roderich pulled himself over to the sink and splashed water on his face, before leaning heavily on the sink and gazing at his reflection.

The Austrian truly looked dreadful. His skin was an unsettling shade of grey, dark circles had formed under his washed out eyes, and his hair hung limply from his head; even that stubborn curl hung lower than usual. His lips were chapped, his stomach churned, he couldn't even remember the day.

_When did I get sick? How long has it been? What happened to me?_

The miserable Austrian wondered to himself, his memories annoyingly unreliable. He remembered shopping with Italy, walking home in the rain, then… nothing. One thing was for certain, however. He needed his piano.

Roderich wandered clumsily down the darkened hallway, not bothering to look where he was going. Instead, he let the invisible string that connected him to his precious baby grand guide him through his home. He arrived rather inelegantly at the music room, tripping over the threshold and falling to his knees.

_Ow…I must be _really_ sick…piano will help…_

Tripping towards the polished instrument, the Austrian grabbed hold of the piano stool, and settled himself in the velvet cushion. A strong sense of relief washed over him as he placed his hands on the ivory keys, causing a silly grin to appear on his face. He could always trust his piano to make him feel better, unlike that annoying Prussian.

And yet, he found himself playing a song that reminded him of the albino, his fingers running gently across the keys, his mind calmed by the gentle tone of his playing. The Austrian felt compelled to sing; he would normally just play, but this time he felt obliged, as though he somehow owed it to Gilbert.

"_I heard there was a secret chord, that David played and it pleased the Lord, but you don't really care for music do you?_"

That dammed Prussian, always trying to spoil what the Austrian held dear, bad mouthing his music and laughing at his melodies.

"_Well it goes like this, the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall and the major lift, the baffled king composing hallelujah._"

He would always continue, never mind what that silly albino did, he battled on through the highs and lows of his life with Gilbert.

"_You had your faith but you needed proof, you saw her bathing on the roof, her beauty in the moonlight overthrew you."_

Roderich knew who he was, and yet he was so _intrigued_ by Gilbert, his pale skin, his crimson eyes. He wanted to know everything about the man…

"_She tied you to her kitchen chair, she broke your throne and she cut your hair, and from your lips she tore the hallelujah._"

And it had all gone wrong for him; Prussia tore down his walls and destroyed his cities, yet never permanently, confusing the Austrian. Why would he allow him to rebuild, why wouldn't he just take over?

His playing became more and more frantic, as his chest grew tighter and tighter, when suddenly he was no longer playing, and yet the music continued. Pale hands gripped his shoulders.

"Why don't you just destroy me?" whispered the perplexed Austrian. "Why do you let me live? Why…"

The Prussian stared in horror at Roderich before finally speaking.

"Roderich? Roderich, listen to me! You need to snap out of it! You're not thinking straight, you're saying… strange things."

"You think you know everything, don't you?" Roderich suddenly yelled at the albino. "I just wanted to be left alone, I wanted nothing but to be with my music, but you came and took that away from me!" He lashed out at the Prussian, hitting him with surprising force. Gilbert recoiled, staring at Roderich in shock.

"Röschen- uh, Roderich. I- I know you didn't really mean to do that. You're… not well. You need to rest."

Not well? He _did _feel ill… it was okay though. Gilbert was there, Gilbert would take care of him. Gilbert would be there again in the morning, ready to keep him safe. He had promised him, hadn't he? Hadn't he? He smiled at Gilbert, the confusion falling away like a curtain falling from a long hidden window, letting the light shine through.

"Ich liebe dich, Preußen."

And with those final words, he closed his weary eyes and fell into Gilbert's waiting arms.

**AN**

_I'm rather proud of this chapter! I was kinda fangirling just writing it! I know, I know, there's a million _Hallelujah_ fics out there, but I'm very fond of the song, and I feel like it fit the scene very well. Does anyone have any ideas as to what Austria's illness could be? I'm really just making it up at the moment, but if it sounds familiar, let me know!_

_His symptoms include: Dizziness, shaking, vomiting, sweating, hallucinating, and fainting._

_Here are your translations =^-^=_

_**Röschen -Rose**_

_**Ich liebe dich, Preußen -I love you, Prussia (mega fangirl!) **_

**/AN**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

**AN**

_So a lot of this is repeated from the last chapter. I just wanted to have Gilbert's POV as well, so tough cookies. Anyway, it's really only the dialogue that I repeated, so you won't get bored or anything. At least, you shouldn't. Enjoy!_

**/AN**

***Prussia***

"Ugh…"

A stiff neck, a sore back, and a drool covered shoulder was _not_ what Prussia enjoyed waking up to. He yawned, glanced at the time, and blanched as the old fashioned train station clock came into focus.

_Three in the morning? Ugh, that is _so_ un-awesome…_

As he stretched his limbs, he noticed the absence of the delicate, long fingered hand he had fallen asleep holding.

_Where'd the priss go? Verdammt!_

A sudden thud from upstairs startled the former nation, but also made him realise where the Austrian was. The piano room. Forgetting his stiff limbs, he sprinted upstairs at full pelt, mind racing.

_What the hell is he thinking? Getting out of bed in the middle of the nacht, he's probably feeling like crap, and going to play the piano, of all things._

When he reached the music room, however, he froze in the doorway. The handsome Austrian was playing the piano, which was to be expected. But he was also… singing. Gilbert had never had the pleasure of hearing Roderich sing, probably because the Austrian expected to be made fun of. But the Austrian… he sang like an angel.

"_I heard there was a secret chord, that David played and it pleased the Lord, but you don't really care for music do you?_"

The dark haired angel's voice rose and fell, spelling out the sweet melody as if they were words to save a life. And the Prussian could feel his heart filling, in a way that it hadn't since the fall of the Berlin Wall. And yet somehow… somehow he felt as if the Austrian was singing for him.

Gilbert could feel his eyes filling with tears. Roderich's voice sounded so innocent, so full of light, pushing away the darkness that had surrounded the former nation for so long. He took a hesitant step towards the piano, not wanting to disrupt the reverent tune.

"_Well it goes like this, the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall and the major lift, the baffled king composing hallelujah._"

The Prussian froze. Something was wrong. Roderich's voice had become strained, as though his usual graceful playing was becoming a huge effort. The gloom began to seep back into his un-beating heart as he crept towards the Austrian.

"_You had your faith but you needed proof, you saw her bathing on the roof, her beauty in the moonlight overthrew you."_

The once angelic voice was now tainted. Demons slunk in, tweaked the pretty notes and corrupted them, twisting the melody into an awful facsimile of what it once was. Roderich began to rock back and forth, playing louder and louder, slamming his thin fingers into the keys.

"_She tied you to her kitchen chair, she broke your throne and she cut your hair, and from your lips she tore the hallelujah._"

Prussia leapt forward as the tarnished angel tipped forward, and grasped his shoulders, stopping him from striking his head on the piano.

"Why don't you just destroy me?"

He heard the unwell Austrian whisper the confusing phrase. He clearly wasn't feeling any better. His skin was a horrifying shade of grey, his chocolatey hair fell limply into his eyes, and oh, those eyes.

Those eyes that he'd missed so much, the eyes he'd been desparate to see again, the eyes that haunted his dreams, they now caused a disturbing feeling to surface in his stomach. The once rich violet of his irises was now sickly lavender, the pupils shrunk to the point of being nearly non-existent, the whites of his eyes tinged with a sleepless red.

The wretched man couldn't even see properly, his glasses abandoned by the door. His unfocussed gaze seemed to breach the boundaries of Gilbert's closely guarded soul, petrifying the former nation. The Austrian's unnerving orbs fastened upon the Prussian's own, cerise eyes, holding him in an altogether terrifying confinement.

_He looks like… he's going to kill someone!_

"Why do you let me live? Why…"

Gilbert shook his head, finally escaping the hypnotic gaze.

"Roderich? Roderich, listen to me! You need to snap out of it! You're not thinking straight, you're saying… strange things."

"You think you know everything, don't you?" Roderich was suddenly yelling, startling the albino. He'd never heard the Austrian shout before.

"I just wanted to be left alone, I wanted nothing but to be with my music, but you came and took that away from me!"

Gilbert opened his mouth to apologize, only to feel a sharp blow to the side of his head. Roderich had lashed out so suddenly, so unexpectedly, that the former nation could only sit and stare. He'd _never_ hit him. _Never_.

"Röschen- uh, Roderich. I- I know you didn't really mean to do that. You're… not well. You need to rest."

He stuttered out the words, still reeling in shock from the hit. The poisoned violet eyes stared right through him, seeking… something. Then the Austrian's pale face lit up, and he even smiled a little.

"Ich liebe dich, Preußen."

"I- what?"

Roderich's terrible eyes finally closed, and Gilbert darted out to catch him as he slumped forward, leaving all consciousness behind. His mind was whirling at the Austrian's words.

_He… loves me?_

Was it the illness causing him to speak false words that he'd never utter to the Prussian when well? Or was it the very same illness that brought down his walls, triggering this sudden declaration of love? The albino had no idea what to think. But his heart knew what to say.

"Ich liebe dich auch, mein Röschen."

It was likely that the Austrian couldn't hear him through the delirium, but it was worth a shot. He pulled the slumbering man into his arms and carried him back down to his bedroom for some much needed rest.

**AN**

_So I wrote two whole paragraphs about Roddy's eyes. Yep. And Gilbert got a right old slap up the side of his head! My poor baby :(_

_Translations below, please review, yada yada._

_**Verdammt -Dammit**_

_**Nacht -Night**_

_**Röschen -Rose**_

_**Ich liebe dich, Preußen -I love you, Prussia**_

_**Ich liebe dich auch, mein Roschen -I love you too, my rose**_


End file.
